- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions or guidance it gives to local authorities on placing requests from parents whose children will be five when starting school.
Answer
Guidance on this issue was issued to authorities on 16 January 2001 and is publicly available on request. A copy of the guidance has also been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any instructions or guidelines it gives to voluntary or co-opted members of attendance and placing committees established by local authorities.
Answer
The Executive does not publish any guidance in this area. The establishment and operation of such committees are matters for individual education authorities.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether medical reasons, the presence of siblings in a school and the needs of single parents are regarded in legislation or in practice, during the consideration of placing requests, as being of greater, lesser or equal importance than the needs of parents whose children will be five when starting school.
Answer
As a result of an anomaly in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000, only parents whose children will be five or over when they start school are eligible to make a legal placing request. We have made a commitment to amend the legislation at the first available opportunity to ensure that parents of children who are four years and six months and over when they start school are eligible to make a placing request. This anomaly does not affect the entitlement of children who are under five when they start school to a school place. The legislation requires authorities to set guidelines for placing children in their schools generally and to set criteria for accepting legal placing requests where there are more applications for places than places available. However, the legislation does not specify what those criteria might be or their order of priority. It is for authorities to decide what priority they give to different groups of children and therefore practice on taking such decisions will vary from authority to authority. Clearly such decisions have to be made within the existing legal framework, and the answer to question S1W-15097 gave information regarding guidance issued by the Scottish Executive on placing requests in January 2001.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether priority is given to placing requests from parents whose children will be five when starting school.
Answer
As a result of an anomaly in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000, only parents whose children will be five or over when they start school are eligible to make a legal placing request. We have made a commitment to amend the legislation at the first available opportunity to ensure that parents of children who are four years and six months and over when they start school are eligible to make a placing request. This anomaly does not affect the entitlement of children who are under five when they start school to a school place. In the meantime, authorities have been asked to operate a system to ensure that wherever possible given the legislative restraints, parents of children who will be under five when they start school are given the opportunity to say which school they wish their child to attend. Authorities have been asked to grant those requests wherever possible and allow parents to appeal any decision not to grant them through internal appeals processes.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive in which local authority areas pupils who have taken the relevant course at school rather than elsewhere are being presented by their school for Scottish Qualifications Authority examinations in (a) Latin and (b) classical studies.
Answer
Entries for the 2001 diet are still being submitted by centres and as a result the information requested is not yet available. I have asked the Chair of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to write to Mr Russell once the information is available.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was informed that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) board wished to include in the terms and conditions packages for senior SQA staff performance bonus payments and what consultation it undertook during its consideration of this matter.
Answer
Under the terms of the Scottish Qualification Authority's (SQA) Management Statement and Financial Memorandum, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is responsible for the development of its management and staffing structures and for human resource management. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had over the past twelve months with trade unions which have members working in the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Answer
There have been no meetings discussing SQA issues between the Scottish Executive and trade unions representing Scottish Qualifications Authority staff over the past twelve months. Employment related issues are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the salary costs of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is paid to (a) senior managers, (b) junior managers, (c) clerical and administrative staff, (d) professional staff, (e) other staff, and (f) part-time staff not included in the above; what the current total staffing complement of the SQA is, broken down by each of these categories, and how many staff in each category have terms and conditions that include performance bonus payments.
Answer
This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils will sit exams in (a) Latin and (b) classical studies at the spring 2001 examination diet.
Answer
Entries for the 2001 diet are still being submitted by centres and as a result the information requested is not yet available. I have asked the Chair of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to write to Mr Russell once the information is available.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria for the payment of performance bonuses to senior staff at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) were proposed by the SQA board and whether it approved any such criteria and payments.
Answer
Under the terms of the Scottish Qualification Authority's (SQA) Management Statement and Financial Memorandum, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is responsible for the development of its management and staffing structures and for human resource management. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
